Gallery: Smart EV range to debut at Paris Motor Show

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Smart has said that its ‘perfect city car’ has ‘become a little more perfect’ with the introduction of a range-wide EV drivetrain set to make its debut at next week’s Paris Motor Show.

The range of fortwo, fortwo cabrio and forfour is set to arrive on UK shores in early 2017 and offers a 60kW electric motor claiming a zero emissions range of 100 miles and the ability to be fully charged, from empty, in two and a half hours.

A fast charger available from next year claims to make a full charge possible in just 45 minutes, with a "smart control" app making it possible to monitor charging remotely.

Annette Winkler, head of smart, said: "The smart is the perfect city car, and with electric drive it becomes a little bit more perfect.

"Together with lots of smart fans and enthusiastic drivers of the three predecessor generations, we are looking forward to the unique driving fun offered by the new smart electric drive. And at very attractive prices, especially in countries where there is a buyer's premium."

Prices for the EV smart line-up will start at 21,940 Euros for the fortwo.

Smart’s EV line-up makes it the only car manufacturer worldwide to offer its model range with both combustion engines and pure battery-electric drive.

The smart fortwo electric drive models are series produced at smart's Hambach plant in France while forfour electric drive is produced at the Novo Mesto site in Slovenia. The smart is equipped with a battery from the Daimler subsidiary Deutsche ACCUMOTIVE. The company, based in Kamenz, Saxony, has been building the electric heart of the smart electric drive since 2012.

The newcomers claim performance which should see an 11.5 second dash to 62mph for the fortwo, 100.8 for the cabrio and 12.7 for the larger forfour, with a top speed of 81mph across the board.

Owners will be able to select an ECO mode, however, limiting the maximum speed and dialling up the maximum energy recuperation level.

To save energy and extend the range, the smart electric drive also features pre-entry climate control which enables the desired temperature to be reached in the interior while the vehicle is still charging at a socket.

As well as setting this function, owners will be able to use a "smart control" app which makes electric drive information available via a smartphone, tablet or PC.

As standard, smart electric drive models come with additional dashboard instruments which show a power meter and battery status display.

A multi-award-winning news journalist, Tom is news and features editor for Bauer Media’s AM brand. His role demands he keep abreast of all industry and business news to provide coverage of the franchised automotive retail sector and the wider automotive industry, while assisting in the management of the magazine’s production and AM events.